Submarine vessel.



J. F. WADDINGTON.

SUBMARINE VESSEL. APPLICATION FILED JUNE 21.1916.

Pdtented Apr. 15,1919.

3 SHEETSSHEET I- us mm 43 M5275 foil J. F. WADDINGTON.

SUBMARINE VESSEL. APPLICATION FILED JUNE 21' 1916.

Patented Apr. 15,1919.

-3 $HEETSSHEET 2.

Patented Apr. 15, 1919.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 3.

J. F. WADDINGTON.

' SUBMARINE VESSEL.

APPLICATION FILED mm: 21

@3 1 M @1101 no a JAMES FRANKLIN WADDING-TON, OF BEVERLY, JERSEY.

SU'BMARINE VESSEL.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that 1, James FRANKLIN VVADDINGTON, a subject of the King of England, residing at Beverly, in the county of Burlington, and Stateof New Jersey, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Submarine Vessels, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to vessels or boats of the class usually known as submarines.

Byway of illustrating my invention I have herein shown it in two forms, the first of which embodies a submarine boat of what I term the single hull type and this construction is preferably followed in the building of small boats or those intended particularly for. coast defense purposes while the second form embodies a submarine of what I call the multiple hull type, and boats so constructed are especially adapted for ocean going or fleet purposes.

In carrying out my invention it is my purpose to provide a submarine having an improved hull' which is so constructed as to increase the sea worthiness or sea-going qualities of the vessel when navigating on the surface and to insure increased stability of such vessel when'submerged. v

In the single hull type of vessel I provide a hull which is in the nature of a single tube, preferably approximately circular in cross section and curved or bowed longitudinally to give it substantially the shape of a crescent, while in the multiple hull type I employ a plurality of such crescentshaped'tubes. By constructing the hull of the vessel in approximately the shape of a crescent I' insure relatively great buoyancy at the bow and stern-sections and this gives increased sea-worthiness to the boat when running on the surface in addition to imparting stability to the vessel when the latter is submerged. Furthermore, by so con structing'the hull of the vessel, as herein set forth, I provide for an increased free board with the use of a minimum amount of water ballast thereby enabling the vessel to be quickly changed from surface to submerging trim andvic'e versa.

Another object of the invention is the provision of a submarine having an improved arrangement of torpedo firing tubes into which the torpedoes may be easily and con- Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Apr. 15, 1919.

4 Application filed June 21, 1916. Serial No. 104,901.

veniently fed and from which they may be quickly and accurately discharged.

A further object is the provision of mechanism for enabling the vessel to be readily and 'quickly submerged when desired, such mechanism being operable to instantly flood or fill the submerging tanks or compartments. A further object is'the provision of substantially vertically disposed tubes located on top of the crescent shaped hull or hulls to assist in supporting the superstructure deck, conning tower, gun mountings and the like on the superstructure deck level, these tubes providing access to the interior of the hull or hulls through suitable'hatchways, and furthermore, such tubes may be employed for the housing of surface communication tanks and also for emergency I tanks to take the crew to the surface in case of accident to the boat when thelatter is submerged or when it is resting on the bottom.

Furthermore, I propose to so construct the hull of the vessel and the superstructure sections thereof such as the superstructure deck, conning tower or towers, gun turrets and the like that the vessel as a whole, so far as its exterior form is concerned, will present a stream line efiect, thus ofiering little resistance when traveling through the water and insuring that the vessel will attain its maximum speed under normal conditions.

I also aim to provide a submarine which may be adapted either for coast defense purwith cruisers, torpedo boat destroyers and other types of war vessels andas a means of attack on merchant vessels.

Furthermore, a submarine constructed as described herein will operate on a substantially even keel when submerged. Where the multiple hulls are used the vessel can be constructed of lighter material than would be required for a single hulled vessel of equal displacement in order to withstand the same submerged pressure, and such multiple hull construction is also better adapted for the installation of motors, storage cells, ballast compartments and other equipment.

With the above recited objects and others of a similar nature in view my invention for one set of torpedo tubes.

Figs. 4 to 11 inclusive are vertical cross sectional detail views taken through, the hull of the vessel shown in Figs. 1 and 2, some of the interior equipment being omitted for the sake of clearness.

Fig. 12 is a vertical longitudinal sectional view taken through a multiple hull type of submarine vessel embodying my invention.

Fig. 13 is a view in side elevation thereof, the stern of ,-the vessel being broken awa Figs. 14 to 21 inclusive are cross sectional detail views taken through the form of vessel shown in Figs. 13 and 14.

Fig. 22 is a top plan view of the multiple hull submarine vessel.

Fig. 23 is an enlarged detail view of a portion of the interior of the hull of this multiple hull submarine vessel and showing the mechanism for controlling the flooding or filling of the submerging compartments.

Fig. 24 is an enlarged detail view partly in section'and partly in elevation of portions .of a set of torpedo tubes and the cap at the end of the same.

Fig. 25 is a vertical sectional v1ew taken through a tube in which is stored a surface communication tank. V

Fig. 26 is a vertical sectional'view taken through such a tank and showing the same at the surface of the water.

Fig. 27 is a top plan view of the tank.

Referring now to the accompanying drawings in detail and particularly to Figs. 1 to 11 inclusive, wherein the sin le hull type of vessel is shown the letter A indicates the hull of the vessel as an entirety.- This hull, which is preferably made of steel, or other suitable material, is in the nature of a relatively long tube, substantially circular in cross section, but is curved or bowed longitudinally so as to be of approximately crescent shape or form, and such hull containing in the central portion or amidships section thereof the submerging tanks 1, the fuel oil tanks 2 and the compensating tanks 3, while at the ends of the hull are located the trimming tanks 34 and 35, a deck .or top 4 beingprovided above these tanks, while a high pressure tank 5 is also provided. The letter E indicates an oil engine for driving the shaft 6 of the propeller 7 when the Vessel is running on the surface or in awash condition, at which time the engine is connected with the shaft 6 through suitable clutch mechanism. When the hull is submerged, however, the oil engine E is disconnected from the propeller shaft and the latter is turned by the electric motor E, which is energized from a suitable source of power such, for instance, as the battery cells 8, which in the present instance are located in the bow of the vessel above the ballast tanks 9 to counterbalance the oil en e E.

s will be understood by reference to the 'drawings the tubular hull A is crescent shaped throughout, or from end to end, the extreme ends of the hull being carried up to and merging into the raised deck '10 of the superstructure S, the latter being formed by'non-water tight fairing plates 11 which are topped by this deck 10. Extending upward from the top of the crescent shaped hull and through the superstructure to the deck 10 are the vertical tubular chambers 12 each of which is preferably closed by an outer hatchdoor 13 and an inner hatchdoor 14, thus forming a lock. tubular chambers assist in supporting the deck 10, conning tower, gun mounts and other equipment on the superstructure deck level, and also provide access to the interior of the hull A, the double hatch doors acting to constitute a lock as will be readily understood. Suitable ladders may lead from these tubular chambers into the hull of the vessel, one of the ladders being shown at 15. These tubular chambers 12 may also be employed to house suitable escape and surface-communicating tanks, such as are shown at Z, and these tanks may be used to take the crew to the surface in case of accident to the submarine when the latter is submerged, or for the purpose of reconnoitering when the submarine is on the bottom. One form of such a tank Z is shown in detail in Figs. 25, 26 and 27, and will be hereinafter described. Adjacent each end of the hull is a water-tight bulk-head 16, and adjacent each of these bulk-heads is a vertical tube 17 constituting a through passage in which I locate the vertical screw propellers 18, these propellers being intended for regulating the submergence of the vessel and they also assist in keeping the latter upon an even keel, the propellers being so operated that if the vessel deviates from an even keel they may be worked in opposite directions so as to bring the vessel back into proper trim.

These If it is desired to submerge the vessel when vessel rooms 20 from which they are subsequently carried and inserted in the torpedo tubes 21. The rooms 20 may also be used for the storage of extra or spare torpedoes. The torpedo tubes are preferably arranged 1n pairs, one above the other, at each end of the and the outer ends of each pair of tubes are closed by a balanced rotary or pivoted cap 22, as shown in Fig. 24, this cap being mounted upon a longitudinally feeding screw shaft 23 extending into the torpedo handling room, such shaft being turned by a suitable gearing indicated as an entirety by the letter G to feed the shaft and thus move the cap to and from the ends of the tubes, while gearing G is employed to rotate the shaft, thus rotating the cap and causing the muzzles or ends of the torpedo tubes to be covered or uncovered as desired, and as will be understood by reference to Figs. 3 and 24. The letter C indicates the conning tower which is preferably elliptical, considered in horizontal cross section, with its longer axis running longitudinally of the boat so that the tower will offer but little resistance to the travel of the boat throughthe water. This tower is provided with a suitable hatch 27 while ladders 28 lead into the interior of the hull. Within the tower may be placed the controlling devices for the various mechanisms of the boat as will be readily understood' The bow section of the hull is provided with a cutwater 29 or non-water-tight plating, this cut-water being located under the curved hull to give the desired stream line shape to the boat.

At the sides of the vessel I arrange the main inclinable side planes 30 carried by the horizontal shaft 31 and which may be operated in any .suitable manner, such as through the segment gear 32, worm 33, shaft .34, and hand wheel 35, to shift the planes for submerging or raising the vessel. To each of these side planes 30 I apply the supplemental planes 36 in order to increase the efliciency and action of the main side planes. Adjacent the stern of the boat I provide the horizontal rudders 37 carried by the shaft 38 which is operative through the gearing 39 and the shaft 40 or through any suitable form of mechanism.

The hull may also be provided with the releasable keel blocks 41 which may be dropped, if necessary to lighten the vessel, by actuating the trigger arms 42. The vessel may also be provided with suitable periscopes 43 and with a pivoted escape pipe 44 for the engine E, this pipe being folded down against the deck when desired. Located between the deck 10 and the top of the hull, and preferably adjacent the tower C is a water-tight chamber 45 adapted to be closed by a suitable water-tight hatch,

this chamber being intended to receive a shown in connection with the multiple hull vessel, and which mechanism is best illustrated in Fig. 23, and I will describe this mechanism in detail in connection with the multiple hull vessel.

In Figs. 12 to 23 inclusive, I have shown another form of my invention, the vessel being of multiple instead of single hull construction. This multiple hull vessel consists of a series of crescent shaped watertight pressure hulls A each one in itself being pressure resistant, and the hulls or sections A are joined to each other by girders, or by tubular members 50 terminating in'a single or common bow section 51 and a single or common stern section 52, these bow and stern sections also being raised above the central portion of the vessel so that torpedoes can be passed into the torpedo handling rooms 53 in the manner described for the single hull construction. Tubes 50 provided with suitable hatches connect the upper and lower hull sections and constitute means of communication or of access between these sections. Likewise, this multiple hull vessel is provided with a superstructure S and a superstructure deck 10 similar to that described for the single hull vessel. In this multiple hulled vessel a non-water-tight cut-water 54 is provided which merges into the lower non-watertight girder 55 and thence merges into the skeg 56 thus forming suitable stream lines. Compressed air tanks 57 are located outside of and above the non-tight water girders 55 or other structures which form the stream lines. The submerging tanks are shown at 58 and the bottom wall of each of these tanks has a series of ways or openings 59 cut therein, each way or opening being controlled by a pivoted door or valve 60, all of these valves of each compartment or tank being equipped with a toggle joint 61, and the toggles of each set of valves or doors are operated by a rod 62 connected to a bell crank lever 63 which in turn is operated by a screw shaft 64 turnable by means of a hand wheel 65, as will be readily understood by reference to Fig. 23. When the toggle links or joints are broken by turning the hand wheel to shift the rod 62 in one hand wheel 65 is operated in the opposite direction to strai ten the toggle links the doors or valves will be closed. Thus by this mechanism the tanks may be rapidly and conveniently filled or flooded.

. In this'type of vessel the arrangement of the two lower hulls is such that the twin propeller shafts 66 pass from the upper hulls clear of the lower hulls as is shown in Fi 16 to 21 inclusive. This multiple hull construction is also equipped with the main inclinable side planes having the supviding access to each hull section througha water-tight door 68. Furthermore, the vertical through tubes 17 for the vertical screw propellers v18 are arranged to pass upward between the pressure hulls as shown in Fig. 20.

Located above the superstructure S are the Water tight gun turrets 69 provided with suitable hatches in the top thereof for access, these turrets being elongated in a direction parallel with the longitudinal axis of the vessel and form with the conning tower a relatively narrow elongated top structure, attaining a stream line efiect in conjunction with the hull of the vessel and its superstructure so that the progress of the boat through the water will not be impeded. Within the vertical tubular chambers 12, which are employed with both types of vessels I arrange escape tanks of the character shown in Figs. 25 to 27 inclusive. Referring to said figures it will be seen that each tank comprises a cylindrical body portion 70, constituting a chamber and having con-.

nected at its lower end a water ballast tank 71 which is tapered toward its lower end and terminates in a conical body of metal 72 which ballasts the tank so that it floats in a vertical position.- Thus the lower portion of the escape tank is conical in form so that it may be readily guided into or passed into the tubular chamber 12, which formsits housing. Within the chamber isarranged a suitable winch 73, the drum 7 4 of which acts as a reel for the wire cable 75, while 76 is pump for the water ballast, and 77 is a periscope. The hatchway 78 of the tank may be provided with a suitable port.- light 79. The hatch 13 may be raised and lowered through any suitable mechanism such as the gearing 8O operated by the shaft 81, this mechanism can be thrown out ofgear, so that when the tube 5 is flooded the escape tank floats upward, pushing open the hatch of tube by the buoyancy of the tank which by paying out the wire rope rises to the surface and can be pulled back again to the submarine by the same means.

Preferably the multiple hull construction, as shown herein, is intended to be embodied in large ocean-going submarines, in this case the vessel being relatively large sizeand be ing driven by oil engines or the like of relatively great horse power. In both the single and multiple hulls the general propelling arrangements are the same as areused on vessels of this class, that is to say, the engines propel the vessel directly through the shafting when on the surface, and when.

submerged the engines are stopped and disconnected from 'the propelling shaft, the propelling being then carried out by electric motors with current sup-plied from the storage batteries.

Furthermore, it is to be understood that so far as the interior arrangement of the vessel is concerned, it may be of any suitable or desired character, suitable room being provided for stores, crew quarters and the like. The space inside the non-water-tight superstrudture may be used to carry small boats, spare torpedoes, mines or other gear .or supplies that Would not be damaged by water when the vessel is submerged, large doors being fitted in the sides of the superstructure as desirable for handling the above. A platform deck 100 can also be fitted and used as crew quarters in harbor or fine Weather.

What I claim is:

1. A submarine boat having a hull comprising a. water-tight midships section transversely circular and longitudinally curved or bowed throughout.

2. A submarine having the hull thereof comprising a plurality of hull sections united together and having common bow and stern compartments, each of said hull sections comprising a water-tight midships section longitudinally curved or bowed throughout.

3. A submarinehaving a tubularhull and a non-water-tight cutwater mounted below the bow thereof to form stream lines fo the hull. v

4. A submarine having a hull section comprising a water-tight midships section transversely circular and longitudinally curved or bowed throughout, said hull section hav ing a bow structure provided with torpedo tubes and a superstructure including a deck extending between the raised bow and stern portions at the end of the midships section.

5. A submarine having a hull portion comprising a water-tight midships section approximately transverselycircular and I longitudinally curved or bowed throughout,

said hull having a cutwater extending under the bow thereof to form stream lines for the latter.

6. A submarine comprising a plurality of united tubular hull sections constituting exterior portions adapted to be exposed to the sea, each hull section comprising a Water-tight midships section transversely .0 circular and longitudinally curved or bowed throughout.

.7. A submarine comprising a plurality of tubular hull sections, each having .a watertight midships section transversely circular 6 and longitudinally curved or bowed throughout, and means for uniting said hull sections, the hull sections and the uniting members being exposed to the sea.

8. A submarine comprising a plurality of 9 tubular hull sections, each comprising a 9. A submarine comprising aplurality oftubular hull sections, each including awater-tight midships section substantially transversely circular and -longitudinally curved or bowed throughout, members connecting all of'the hull sections, the ends of said hull sections terminating in common bow and stem compartments, and a superstructure mounted on the hull sections and extending between the bow and stem compartments.

10. In a submarine, a hull comprising a plurality of spaced tubular hull sections, each having a water-tight midships section longitudinally curved or bowed throughout, said sections terminating in common bow and stern sections, a non-water-tight outwater at the bow, a horizontal girder into which the cutwater merges, and a non-watertight skcgat the stern of the vessel and into which the horizontal girder merges.

11. In a submarine, a tubular hull section having a'water-tight midships section transversely circular and longitudinally curved or bowed throughout, .a superstructure deck open to the water when the vessel submerges and a platform deck also. carried by the superstructure deck.

In testimony whereof I aflix my signature in the presence of two witnesses.

Witnemesz H. J. SMITH. E. 'W. PAYNE.

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